Before we knew it, it was the thirteenth day of the first lunar month.
Early in the morning, Xu Lejin paid her respects to Consort Zhao at Chuxiu Palace, then abandoned her sedan chair and, supported by Lianzhi and Ruhua, walked along the long street.
Eunuchs and palace maids carried the sedan chair, following at a distance.
Along the long street, many palace maids and eunuchs were carrying various things and walking hurriedly.
Xu Lejin glanced at it, and Lianzhi, with her keen sense of propriety, spoke softly, "Your Majesty, those are Lantern Festival gifts prepared by the Imperial Household Department for the various ladies and concubines, as ordered by the Emperor and Consort Zhao."
"Since Her Majesty has been granted the title of Consort Yu this year, the Lantern Festival gifts from the Imperial Household Department will surely be twice as much as last year."
Lianzhi's clear black and white eyes darted around as she subtly complimented Xu Lejin.
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, her expression indifferent, and said, "The Lantern Festival gifts prepared by the Imperial Household Department for each palace are naturally of the highest quality."
"No matter how grand the Lantern Festival celebrations at Yikun Palace are, they can't compare to those at Consort Zhao's palace."
"Your Highness Consort Zhao holds the rank of Consort, while I hold the rank of Concubine. There is a distinction between the ranks in the palace, and we must maintain that distinction."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Early the next morning.
Consort Zhao's expression darkened slightly as she sat upright in the main seat of Chuxiu Palace.
"My dear sisters, the Lantern Festival gifts prepared by the Imperial Household Department for each palace were delivered to you yesterday."
"As this is my first time presiding over the Lantern Festival ceremony, I ask for your understanding if there is anything inappropriate or improper."
Xu Lejin and the other concubines exchanged glances and said in unison, "We dare not."
After a pause, Consort Zhao continued, "Sister Yu Pin, I heard that among the Lantern Festival gifts sent to Yikun Palace by the Imperial Household Department this year, there was a bushel of snail-shaped eyebrow pencil that His Majesty specially bestowed upon you."
"Luozi ink is a tribute item, and not much was sent to the palace last year. Now that Consort Yu has received Luozi ink as a gift from the Emperor, she will surely become even more charming and lovely when she uses it to draw her eyebrows, and will be favored by the Emperor."
Consort Zhao looked at Xu Lejin with a deep, dark gaze, filled with anger, jealousy, and resentment.
Xu Lejin nodded slightly and said respectfully, "Your Highness, Consort Zhao, you flatter me. How could I, a mere willow-like woman, possibly rival Your Highness's brilliance?"
"The Emperor bestowed upon me snail-shell ink only because my eyebrows are not well-shaped."
"His Majesty sent word yesterday that he would like me to use snail-shell ink to draw distant mountain eyebrows, so I used it today. Consort Zhao, what do you ladies think?"
Her fair and slender fingers gently touched her brow.
A sharp glint flashed in Consort Zhao's eyes, then she spoke softly, "Consort Yu is young, with fair skin like jade, and her eyebrows, drawn with snail-shell ink, are naturally excellent."
"Thank you, Consort Zhao."
With a shy expression, Xu Lejin pondered for a moment, then slowly raised her eyes, her gaze falling on the peony-shaped gold hairpin inlaid with pearls on Consort Zhao's hair.
"The peony-patterned gold hairpin that His Majesty bestowed upon Consort Zhao is also excellent."
"I was reading poetry a few days ago and came across a poem. Now I'm reciting it, and it's just right."
Consort Zhao's expression faltered slightly. She said, "Sister Yu Pin, now that you've been granted the title of Consort, you've actually started studying poetry and literature?"
"Now that it is the New Year festival, the palace is filled with joy. Since Consort Yu has read books, please recite some poems for everyone to hear."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Xu Lejin parted her red lips slightly and softly recited, "The peony in the courtyard is charming but lacks elegance, the lotus on the pond is pure but lacks emotion, only the peony is truly the national beauty, its blooming season stirs the capital."
"The Emperor specially bestowed upon Consort Zhao a gold hairpin adorned with peonies, which shows that in the Emperor's heart, Consort Zhao is the peony of unparalleled beauty, while the other concubines are merely inconspicuous little flowers and grasses, serving as embellishments and accentuators to highlight the peony's elegance and nobility."
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhao unconsciously stroked the peony-shaped gold hairpin on her head.
"Sister Yu Pin is very talented."
After a pause, Consort Zhao said softly, "His Majesty treats all his sisters the same. Consort Yu's snail-shell eyebrow pencil, Consort Nara's red-gold lotus bracelet, Consort Li's Hetian jade hairpin, Consort Wanyan's rose gold hairpin, and Consort Guoluo's Lantian jade pendant are all excellent."
Xu Lejin, Nara Concubine, Li Concubine, and others wore faint smiles on their faces.
Clearing her throat, Consort Zhao looked up at the sky outside and parted her lips slightly.
"My dear sisters, it's getting late. I still need to prepare for tomorrow's Lantern Festival banquet, so I won't keep you any longer."
After speaking, Consort Zhao glanced at Xu Lejin, Consort Nara, Consort Li, and others with a dark and ambiguous look in her eyes. Supported by Caiyue and Lianxing, she left the main hall of Chuxiu Palace.
The Lantern Festival banquet the following day was held in the Tihe Hall.
Xu Lejin excused herself from feeling unwell and asked Consort Zhao for leave. Although Consort Zhao had some doubts, she allowed Xu Lejin to stay in Yikun Palace to recuperate.
With the moon and stars shining brightly, Xu Lejin sat quietly by the bed, appreciating the clear, bright night sky of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
With a serene smile on her face, Xu Lejin secretly thought to herself, "May the flowers bloom and the moon be full, and may we share the beauty of the moon from afar."
In this moment, one should raise a cup to invite the bright moon, making three of us with one's shadow, but...
At this moment, Ru Xian rushed into the hall in a flustered manner and respectfully reported to Xu Lejin, "Your Majesty, something happened at the Lantern Festival banquet earlier!"
"Oh, what happened?"
With a calm expression, Xu Lejin asked softly.
It was expected that something bad would happen at the Lantern Festival banquet.
This year, the Imperial Household Department sent Lantern Festival gifts to various palaces. Apart from Consort Zhao's peony-patterned gold hairpin, what stood out were the various jewelry pieces she received from the Western Regions' snail-shell inkstones, Consort Nara, Consort Li, Consort Wanyan, and Consort Guoluo.
She had anticipated that something bad would happen on the Lantern Festival, so she took leave under the pretext of feeling unwell.
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